


Here's to the Next One

by robotmonarchy



Series: Tumblr Prompts and AUs [2]
Category: Futurama
Genre: But so is fry, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Other, Pre-Slash, bender is gay, never thought i'd write one of those, sounds more serious than it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 00:34:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5606971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robotmonarchy/pseuds/robotmonarchy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fry and Bender have a chat on New Years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here's to the Next One

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks Julia, for being a nice pal and talking Frender trash with me!

Planet Express were celebrating 3016 together. It was worth celebrating, they all supposed, since they have been able to stay afloat as a company for another full year. It was humble really. Balloons in every corner. A grand banner that said, “Happy New Years!” was stretched on the wall directly above the couch. Amy and Leela were chattering over plastic red cups in the dining table. The Professor was on the edge of falling asleep on the couch-albeit who can blame a buzzed old man whose already in his pjs for sleeping. Hermes and Zoidberg managed to get along long enough for a conversation, with the bite in Hermes’ voice being significantly less. Zoidberg is excited to talk about his resolutions, which seem to be that same they always were: escaping poverty. The television itself was live with Linda and Morbo broadcasting on the spectacular events of this New Years evening. According to Morbo, “Human Vermin gathered in Time Square to enjoy the coming year and ignore the inevitability of their impending doom.”

Bender, arriving what only he would describe as fashionably late, takes in the scene at the doorway. He couldn’t really decide with who he’d like to waste his time with the most. He idly considers maybe coaxing Amy and Leela into a card game for cash, but decided against it when he remembered the injuries he got from the last time he tried it with them. Then he thought about going over to make fun of Zoidberg, but even that didn’t seem entertaining enough. He himself never could separate New Years from any other day like most humans could. After all, what’s a new year compared to a new century or two? He wouldn’t be able to answer that. And if he had to be honest, (which was never) it was still cute to watch his friends behave like this over such an arbitrary holiday. Almost as adorable as seeing them scared. Plus, how could he ever mind? There were parties and free booze to enjoy all around New New York. In fact, it was the very reason he was here. Having ruled out at least half of the members out, he spares a glance at the window where Fry was solemn, alone, his hands folded over his back and his gaze intensely at the sky in front of him. Before he could question why, Bender found himself walking towards his direction, as if suddenly being pulled by something he might label as worry-if you threatened to put a magnet over his head.

When Bender approached Fry he could immediately see it: the thoughtful expression, the longing in his eyes, and the long, agonizing sigh of a man who felt _lonely._ Bender grabbed a cigar from his chest cabinet in favor of rolling his eyes at the chump. “Alright, Fry. Something is eating you. Out with it.” He demanded, already impatient. Bender couldn’t understand humans, Fry least of all, their moods transitioned more than actual transistors.

“Huh?” Fry blinked out of his daze. “Oh, hi Bender!” The bot rolls his eyes, he’s tempted to walk away right there, but Fry catches up. “I guess...I’m just thinking about how unimportant I am.”

“ _What?”_ Out of all the insecure crap he’s heard Fry say throughout the years that had to be at the top of the list as the most annoying. “Oh come on, Fry!” When Fry seemed to cringe from Bender’s reaction it was all it took to stifle the flurry of insults he was prepared to give for having the audacity to even let that idea foster in that thick head of his. Fry? Unimportant? Not in this universe, not in the next, not ever. Bender looked at the sorry excuse of Fry’s sad face, and something inside of him twisted and churned. There was no blanket he could cover Fry’s face with, no rooftop to push him away from in order to save him the misery of having to watch his best friend be sad. Any of his usual fun acts Bender has practiced specifically for moments like this seemed to fall flat, and instead, he took another scan of the room he was in, and tried to find at least some words to fix whatever stupid problem he was in. Quickly.

Bender grabbed Fry’s jaw firmly, and directed it to looking back at them. “Ow!”

“Shut up.” Bender silenced, “Have you _seen_ this room?”

Fry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, its just everyone enjoying New Years without me.”

“No, dummy,” He pulled Fry’s face further into the frame he was seeing through, as if seeing a bit closer would make the meatsack understand, “Its everyone being _boring_ because you’re busy sulking by this window.”

Fry mulled Bender’s words over. He squinted and said, “I don’t understand.”

Some part of Bender counted to ten. “By the time I would have arrived here you would have gotten everyone stand around watching you chug at least two kegs of slurm.”

“Oh that was one time!” He protested.

“Not the point! You make people laugh Fry! You make people like you, without even trying!” Bender seemed to feign a cough awkwardly. “Some people, people who are not me, Bender, might even be jealous of the way you do it so easily.”

“Really.” Fry asked, still narrowing his eyes while being held in Bender’s grasp. “Like who?”

“Uhm, uh, like Amy. She complains about it all the time when you’re not there.” Bender’s foot cups tapped and scuffled side to side, hoping and praying that Amy couldn’t hear their conversation from the other side of the room. Fry looked directly at Amy, his eyebrow raised. She’s usually so confident, why would she feel that way? Still, it didn’t matter.

Fry’s face fell. “Aw, but you’re wrong.”

“Excuse me?” Bender said, indignant. “Your face is still in my hand you know.” If he gripped his face a tad harder, Bender reasoned you could never prove that in court.

“I- I mean, well, they have you Bender!” There was a slight tremble in his voice, “You could make anything fun if you wanted too!”

Even though Bender can’t breathe, he’s sure that if he did, he’d be out of breath with all these sighs he’s faking. Out of the things he was prepared to do today (Arson, burglary, ransom) emotional confessions was not on that list. “Yeah, well, guess why that is dumbass.”

“Why.” Fry asked glumly, already dreading whatever insult Bender was going to throw at him for having feelings.

 

“You saved my life.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean 15 years ago you were the dumbass that saved my sorry ass from suicide!” He exclaimed, only remembering to modulate his voice to a low volume at the last word.

“Bender! That wasn’t me, that was- that was because-”

“No, it was all you meatbag. You see how I am today?” Fry stared at him.

“Handsome, charming, entertaining, and most importantly great? No one in this room wouldn’t be able to enjoy that if it wasn’t for you.”

 

“Huh.” Fry said dumbly. “I never thought about it like that.”

Bender rolled his optics and let go of Fry’s face. He turned back to the window and took a long puff of his cigar. “Of course not. You’re stupid.” He said finally.

 

Fry rubbed his jaw and looked at Bender thoughtfully for a second, before finally settling with staring out their window again. A few beats of silence happened. Bender was still reeling over the emotions he was feeling, and Fry, never being the best with words, tried to find some anyway. On the clock, New New York was only seconds away from twelve, a brand new year. Their friends behind them were starting to gather, eagerly starting the countdown from ten. 

 

_(“Ten! Nine! Eight...”)_

Fry’s voice edged on concern, “Bender?”

“Yeah?” Bender didn’t feel like looking at Fry in the eye right now. _(_ “ _Seven! Six! Five!”)_

“Thanks. I don’t know what I did, but I’m glad I did it. You’re a great friend.”

“I’m a great everything.” He pointed his cigar at him, “Also, you’re dead to me.” _(“Four! Three!”)_

He can never forgive anyone for making him talk about stupid things like _getting saved_ , or _feelings_.

Despite the harshness of Bender’s tone, Fry laughs, and even in his anger Bender can’t help but think its a wonderful sound.

(“ _Two, ONE!”)_

 

Everyone cheered, and the sound of party poppers were quickly overshadowed by the explosions of fireworks outside of the window. The bright and various colors lit dramatically in the night sky, illuminating them in its grandiosity, reflecting its light on the tallest towers of the city. It was mesmerizing to Fry and Bender both.

"Wow. I could just sit and stare at this all night long." Fry said, awed.  
"Yeah." Bender said simply, quietly distracted by the way fireworks illuminated Fry's profile.

Fry felt something churning in his stomach, whether it was the weird cheeto he ate from the floor hours before, or the fact he's starting to realize something that was going to weigh heavy inside of him for the rest of the year, he couldn't tell. He wanted to say something, something more, but he couldn't. He settled for enjoying the holiday. With his friend. With Bender. His Bender for the last few years.

“Happy New Years, Bender.”

“Happy New Years, Meatbag.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is rushed and unbetad also based on this [picture](https://41.media.tumblr.com/5f7ab9cdbd3db20f227328710f3fc9d9/tumblr_mn86ir6IsR1ryqsu5o6_250.jpg)  
> I DON'T LIKE THIS ONE  
> maybe i'll come back and make it something i like idk


End file.
